What is and isn’t essential should be left up to individuals, not government: Soledad Ursúa

California’s “stay-at-home” orders have revealed a rather snobbish demarcation of businesses:  those that are essential, and those that, well, just are not.

The demarcation is arbitrary, and increasingly, this condescension of who matters and who doesn’t is being resisted by everyday people in red and blue states.

State leaders should rethink their classifications of what is essential and understand that ALL businesses are essential. Why? Simply put, they are essential to those who patronize them, otherwise, they would not be in business.

As someone who grew up as a diehard Democrat, now Libertarian, I find myself increasingly disappointed, particularly, by the political leadership in Blue States, especially my own home state of California. It is run by out of touch elites, “woke” and overpaid “public servants” who want to decide our entire lives.

Many of these elected officials have spent their entire lives working for the government, living large off “non-essential” taxpayers, and have little understanding of  small business finance and the needs of everyday people.

It makes no sense to proclaim that marijuana dispensaries are essential, but churches are not.

Like many Americans abiding by stay-at-home orders, I now daydream about the moment I am able to go to a salon and get a haircut, get my eyebrows waxed, and a mani/pedi. I don’t look my best right now, and that makes me not feel my best. Personally, I consider a hair and nail salon to be more essential  than a liquor  or weed store, and many of my girlfriends feel the same (and since we are not the mayor of Chicago, we don’t get a pass).The beach has been closed to me — I can’t even go for a jog to stay in physical shape.

Recently, New York Gov. Cuomo snapped, “By the way, if you want to go to work, take a job as an essential worker. Do it tomorrow. You are working. You are an essential worker. So, go take a job as an essential worker.”  His arrogance burst through as he berated and degraded half the country —  typically those of us not in government-funded positions whose paycheck was never interrupted, or  in unions who will be ready to contribute to his campaign coffers post-COVID-19.  His remarks were the height of insensitivity to those of us in the class he decided were COVID castaways.  He might as well just declare “non-essential” workers as America’s new basket of deplorables.  They don’t count, so they should just hide away, out of sight, out of mind.

That’s why I cheered for the defiant Dallas salon owner, Shelly Luther, who was threatened with jail time if she didn’t genuflect to an arrogant judge (still collecting his paycheck) proclaiming herself “selfish”. She refused ⁠— standing up for herself, her colleagues, and all their families in asserting that salon lives matter and that people deem and value as essential.

Luther is a real hero — not just for mothers everywhere, but for every small business owner who, in this crisis, have been shuttered, our livelihoods and skills demeaned as “non-essential.” Small business is truly the lifeblood of this nation’s economy. Without small businesses, this economy wouldn’t exist.

With major deficits looming, California must understand that all businesses should be allowed to immediately reopen, instead of the socially engineered “phased” reopening the governor has proclaimed. A phased reopening simply puts the planning authority into the hands of a sanctioned bureaucracy with no input from a free market.

People have been warned; they understand that leaving their home is a calculated risk. For the able bodied and healthy, it is a risk that they have the right to make. Businesses are incredibly innovative and will work to their highest and fullest capacity to safely provide services to their clients. The consumer will ultimately make that decision as an individual.

In 1987, in his infamous Berlin Wall Speech, President Regan declared, “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev… tear down this wall!”  Today I tell my governor, “Mr. Newsom, open this state!” California must be open for business.

If Gov. Newsom fails to open up our economy and let people like myself patronize the businesses we find essential, then I might just have to fill up my gas tank and drive to her salon. Google tells me it’s a 20 hour drive from Los Angeles to Dallas–and who knows… maybe I won’t want to return.

Soledad Ursúa is an investment professional with 12-years direct experience with public-private partnerships, small business, and nonprofit finance, and investment

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Author: Soledad Ursua

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